It gives me great pleasure to welcome today a Delegation from the Church of Scotland. You have come to Rome in that spirit of fraternity and dialogue which for many years now has marked the relationship between us as we seek to walk the path of unity willed by Christ.

As we explore together the ways in which Christians can advance in mutual understanding, I thank you for the interest which you have taken in my Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint. That Letter includes a solemn re-affirmation of the Catholic Church’s commitment to the ecumenical movement. Moved by a true desire for reconciliation, we must all continue on the journey towards visible unity. We still have far to go, but with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall continue to make progress. The Lord himself will bless our efforts and those of Christians everywhere as we strive to respond to his prayer at the Last Supper that "they may all be one" (Jn 17:21).

With gratitude for your visit, I cordially invoke upon you and the members of the Church of Scotland the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ.